CREDITS: The 2013 Stetson Volleyball Media Guide is a publication of the Stetson Athletic Communications Office.
Written and designed by assistant director Jamie Bataille, editorial assistance by Ricky Hazel and Dan Forcella.
Photography by David Williams, Kat and Eric Photography, Eric Dusenbery, Jim Hogue, and Stetson Athletics.

Quick Facts / Mission Statement............................1
2013 Roster / Team Photo......................................2
Head Coach Tim Loesch.....................................3-4
Assistant Coaches / Support Staff.......................5-6
Player Profiles...................................................7-20
2012 Statistics and Results.............................21-22
2012 Atlantic Sun Review.....................................23
Record Book....................................................24-33
This Is ... The Atlantic Sun....................................34
This Is ... Stetson University............................35-36
President of the University...................................37
Director of Athletics..............................................38
Athletic Facilities...................................................39
Sports Medicine....................................................40
Class Photos......................................................IBC
2013 Schedule................................................. OBC
MISSION STATEMENT: The Stetson University
Athletic Department strives to provide students with a
sound educational experience through a holistic and
collaborative athletic program that allows students
to develop intellectually, spiritually, socially, and
physically. Excellence is pursued through participation
in a successful Division I, NCAA program, superior
coaching, interaction among coaches, faculty,
students, and staff, and a diversity of student-athlete
activities based on a liberal-arts education. Students
develop leadership through sport participation and
community activities. In unison with the University
Mission, the Athletic program helps students pursue
truth by actively recruiting and providing a diverse
and caring environment that values and commits to
the rights and fair treatment of all people regardless
of race, religion, or gender. The Athletic Program
(Department) encourages its student athletes to be
morally sensitive and contributing citizens through
active forms of social responsibility.

Tim Loesch is in his third season as head indoor
and sand volleyball coach at Stetson University.
Loesch helped launch the Stetson sand
volleyball program in 2012, and in just two seasons,
has brought the Hatters to the cusp of an Atlantic
Sun Conference championship.
In 2013, Loesch’s Hatters went 13-11 overall
and came within two points of capturing the A-Sun
title. Two pairs were recognized as first-team
all-conference performers, Alisha Hoffman and
Catherine Coston were named to the all-tournament
team, and Katie DiGirolamo and Hoffman earned
academic all-conference honors.

The inaugural Spring 2012 sand volleyball
season was a smashing success as the Hatters
recorded a 9-8 overall record with a second place
finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships.
The season saw Julie Bassett earn A-Sun Freshman
of the Year honors with an A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of
the Year nod for Katie DiGirolamo, All-Conference
Academic honors for DiGirolamo and Alisha Hoffman
as well as a berth in the AVCA Collegiate National
Championships for Bassett and Kaley Melville.
The sand volleyball squad has also earned the
AVCA Team Academic Award in each of its first two
seasons (team GPA of 3.3 or above).
Loesch’s first indoor season in fall of 2011
saw the Hatters win nine matches, more than their
previous three seasons combined, and claim a pair
of A-Sun victories including the first win over FGCU
in series history.
Loesch arrived at Stetson from NCAA Division II
Limestone College (Gaffney, S.C.) where he served
seven seasons as the head coach for their women’s
volleyball team. He also established the men’s
varsity volleyball program at Limestone, coaching
them to a 12-10 overall record and 4-4 in conference
play for their inaugural season. During his tenure,
the women’s team saw a dramatic turnaround, going
from 17-158 before his arrival to a winning record

THE HEAD COACH
since then. In his last six seasons at Limestone his
record was 116-90 overall and 77-39 in conference
play, including a regular season conference title and
three conference tournament runner-up finishes.
Loesch took over a Limestone squad that had
only won five Conference Carolinas matches in its
first six years of existence and proceeded to lead
the Saints to five consecutive winning seasons and
four straight top three finishes in the league. The
2006 Limestone team went 27-9 overall and 18-2 in
conference play, earning him Conference Carolinas
Coach of the Year honors. During Loeschâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tenure,
Limestone Volleyball garnered 14 conference Player
of the Week awards, 12 All-Conference Carolinas
selections and four AVCA All-Region honorees.
Loesch began his coaching career as an
assistant at Charlotte Country Day School where
his efforts yielded two conference championships
and two third-place finishes in the state playoffs.
He then coached at Peace College, helping that
team achieve its only two winning seasons in the
programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Loesch next served as the head
coach at Butler High School where he posted a
winning record and earned two state-playoff berths.
In addition to his college and high school
coaching experience, Loesch coached Junior
Olympic club volleyball during the off-season for 10
years, first at Carolina Juniors Volleyball of Charlotte,
then at Club South Volleyball in Spartanburg. His
club teams won numerous tournaments, three
regional championships and posted two regional
runner-up finishes while earning multiple bids to the
Junior Olympic National Championships.
Loesch currently holds USA Volleyball Coaching
Accreditation Program levels I and II certifications,
American Sport Education Program, American
Coaching Effectiveness Program and Beach
IMPACT coaching credentials. He has served on
the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Committee,
AVCA Division II Head Coach Committee, AVCA
Division I Sand Volleyball Committee, AVCA
Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll Committee and as

chair of the Atlantic Sun Conference Sand Volleyball
Coaches Committee.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina
Charlotte, Loesch holds a degree in business
administration with magna cum laude honors.

4

ASSISTANT COACHES

Meghan Bryant
ASSISTANT COACH
Davidson, 2004
2nd Season

Meghan Bryant is in her second year as an
assistant coach for the Hatters indoor and sand
volleyball programs. She also serves as the indoor
program’s recruiting coordinator.
For the past 10 years, Bryant has been an AAA
and Open-level indoor, beach women’s, and coed
volleyball player. Bryant also has many years of
experience coaching high school, club, and beach
volleyball in the Carolinas and Florida. Before
coming to Stetson, she served as the assistant
varsity volleyball coach at Hough High School
(Cornelius, N.C.), and has been a head coach with
the Lake Norman Volleyball Club, coaching Gold
and Platinum 15U, 16U, and 18U teams. Bryant
also helped to start and coach for All-in-Play NC

Beach Juniors from 2007-2009. From 2008-09 she
was the head varsity volleyball coach at United Faith
Christian Academy in Charlotte.
A four-year starter and senior captain on the
Davidson College women’s basketball team, Bryant
earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from
Davidson College in 2004.
Bryant also spent five years with Bank of
America Corporation in Charlotte and New
York, where she worked in the Global Corporate
Investment Banking division and the Financial
Protection Services and Innovation division. Bryant
is also currently a certified yoga instructor and
worked as a certified personal trainer from 2004-07.

5

ASSISTANT COACHES / SUPPORT STAFF

Danielle Biaso
ASSISTANT COACH
USF, 2011
1st Season

Danielle Biaso begins her first season as an
assistant coach for the Stetson indoor volleyball
team and second year as director of operations for
the sand volleyball team.
For the past five years, Biaso has actively
competed in sand, indoor, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and co-ed AA/
Open level competition.
Biaso is well-versed in coaching both sand and
indoor. As a co-director for Club V, from 2009-2010
in Largo, Florida, she organized and competed in
sand tournaments and leagues. She has coached
all ages in sand, running her own private lessons
since the summer of 2010. She also trained and
coached alongside Ontario Volleyball Association
(OVA) beach professionals in 2010. For the past
four summers, she has coached various camps,

Kaylee Ream

Volunteer Assistant Coach
2nd Season

weekly training sessions, and skill-specific clinics in
the sand.
Biaso has also coached four indoor club teams,
and is currently the head coach of the Power
Volleyball Academy (DeLand) 15U national team.
She is part of the administrative efforts for PVA,
hoping to continue grow the program and further
intends to spread competitive volleyball in Volusia
County.
Biaso earned her Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from USF
in both Psychology and Women & Gender studies
while competing in the Tampa Bay area. She was
also the key organizer of adult play in the Tampa
Bay area and is now making a difference for the
youth and adults in Volusia County.

Brittany Rowe

Athletic Training Intern
1st Season

Jamie Bataille

Athletic Communications
9th Season

6

RETURNING PLAYER PROFILES

12 Ellen Hawks

SENIOR • 6-3 • MIDDLE HITTER
Austin, Tex.
Westwood HS

Career: Has played in all 89 matches making 87 starts ...
Has played in 314 of a possible 318 sets ... Is Stetson’s alltime leader in blocks in the rally-scoring era (279) ... Ranks
seventh in school history in blocks all-time ... Is the Atlantic
Sun active leader in blocks (279) ... Has led the team in
blocks in each of her first three seasons ... 14 matches with
10+ kills.
2012: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Set the schoolrecord for most blocks in a single-season in the rally scoring
era (115) ... Had eight solo blocks and 107 block assists
... Ranked fifth in the A-Sun in blocks per set (0.93) and
tied for fourth in total blocks (115) ... Recorded at least two
blocks in 29/35 matches ... Named to the ISTAP (Alabama
State) all-tournament team ... Recorded 10+ kills in eight
matches ... Posted 14 kills vs. Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 4)
... Notched a career-high 15 kills vs. Florida Atlantic (Sept.
11) ... Tied a career single-match high with nine blocks vs.
ETSU (Sept. 29) ... Put down eight blocks vs. Norfolk State
(Sept. 7) ... Also competed on the sand volleyball squad.

2011: Atlantic Sun Conference Scholar…Atlantic Sun AllAcademic Team…played in all 27 matches with 26 starts...
led the team with 83 blocks, ranking ninth in the Atlantic
Sun…ranked third in the A-Sun with a 0.89 blocks per set
average…ranked third on the team with 155 kills...also
recorded 17 assists, 14 aces, and 36 digs...posted careerhigh 13 kills on .344 hitting in Oct. 29 win over FGCU...
hit .846 with 11 kills and no errors in 13 swings Nov. 11 at
Jacksonville...10 kills and seven blocks in Sept. 9 win over
Bethune-Cookman...12 kills in home finale vs. Mercer on
Nov. 5.
2010: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team...started all 27
matches and played in all 98 sets at middle blocker as a
rookie...second on the team with 159 kills (1.62 kills per
set) and hitting percentage (.227)...led the Hatters with
81 blocks...36 digs, six assists and four aces...nine blocks
and eight kills on .500 hitting vs. Liberty (Sept. 10)...seven
blocks at ETSU (Oct. 29)...11 kills on .474 hitting vs. Belmont
(Nov. 5)...10 kills on .409 hitting in win at Bethune-Cookman

RETURNING PLAYER PROFILES
(Nov. 10)...eight or more kills in five other matches...hit
.389 in season finale at FGCU (Nov. 13)...hit .467 vs.
Jacksonville (Sept. 25).
High School: Recorded 368 kills, 295 blocks and 101
digs for Westwood HS...led the Warriors deep into the
regional playoffs several times...First Team All-District
honoree in 2009...2009 WHS team went undefeated
in its district, was ranked fifth in the state of Texas and
advanced to the regional finals...played for Coach Kate
Zora...Academic All-State honoree...AP Scholar and
National Honor Society member.
Personal: Daughter of Tim and Cindy Hawks...born
Nov. 8, 1991 in Austin, Texas ... majoring in English.

Indoor Career: Has started all 89 matches and played
in 317 of a possible 318 sets ... Has led the team in kills
in each of her first three seasons ... Ranks 10th in school
history in kills (865) ... Ranks 10th in school history in kills/
set (2.73) ... 40 times with 10+ kills ... 42 times with 10+ digs
... 27 double-doubles.
2013 (Sand): Atlantic Sun First-Team All-Conference
selection ... Atlantic Sun Pair of the Week with Julie Bassett
(Mar. 13) ... Went 12-12 overall, including nine wins at the
no. 1 pairs position.
2012 (Indoor): Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Led the
team in kills (342) and kills/set (2.74), and ranked second
in digs (348) and digs/set (2.78) ... Became the first Hatter
in 10 years to have over 300 kills and 300 digs in the same
season ... Named to the Clarion Classic (Stetson) and
Spartan Classic (Norfolk State) all-tournament teams ...
Recorded double-digit kills 14 times, double-digit digs 18
times, and nine double-doubles ... Tallied 19 kills and 16

digs vs. Florida Atlantic (Aug. 31) ... Collected 19 kills and
six blocks in win vs. Norfolk State (Sept. 7) ... Registered a
career-high career-high 25 kills vs. The Citadel (Sept. 14) ...
Picked up a career-high 24 digs vs. Mercer (Sept. 21) ... Put
down 18 kills in only three sets vs. USC Upstate (Sept. 28).
2012 (sand): Tied for second on the team with 16 victories...
paired with Julie Bassett to make an appearance in the
inaugural AVCA Collegiate National Championships.
2011 (indoor): Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team...started all
27 matches for the second year in a row...team-high 286
kills…her 3.04 kills per set ranked 10th in the Atlantic Sun...
ranked third on the team with 224 digs...added 17 assists,
13 aces, 28 blocks...double-digit kills in 16 matches...10
matches with 10 or more digs...10 double-doubles...named
to the Clarion Classic all-tournament team…tied career high
with 18 kills and had 10 digs Sept. 17 vs. Florida Atlantic...15
kills, 12 digs in Sept. 9 win over Bethune-Cookman...17
kills Sept. 10 vs. Wofford...16 kills, 15 digs Sept. 16 vs.

2012: Atlantic Sun Conference Scholar ... Atlantic Sun
All-Academic Team ... Appeared in five matches, making
one start ... Recorded two kills and one ace vs. Savannah
State (Oct. 6) ... Had one kill at Northern Kentucky (Oct.
12) ... Also competed on the sand volleyball squad ... Went
11-8 overall and 4-2 in A-Sun matches ... Earned nine wins
paired with Erin Robertson and two wins paired with Jordan
Dierickx.

Student Council President...Wendy’s High School Heisman
nominee...All-Area Team and All-State honorable mention...
helped lead Routt Rockets to 2007 sectional title and
2008/2009 regional crowns.
Personal: The daughter of Randall and Lori White … born
September 23, 1992 in Jacksonville, Ill. ... majoring in
Health Sciences.

2011: Appeared in 21 matches as a freshman with 10
starting assignments...notched 19 kills, 105 assists, 38
digs and 18 blocks on the year...season-high 20 assists in
Oct. 15 win over USC Upstate...that match culminated a
streak of six consecutive double-digit assist totals...seasonhigh eight digs and three kills in Oct. 25 win at Savannah
State...13 assists, six digs at Mercer (Oct. 8).
High School: Played four years of volleyball and four years
of basketball at Routt Catholic HS (Jacksonville, Ill.)...
Illinois State Scholar and National Honor Society member...

2012: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Played in 15
matches, making two starts ... Picked up 25 digs, nine
aces, and five kills ... Recorded seven digs and 10 service
receptions vs. The Citadel (Sept. 14) ... Notched two aces
vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 15) ... Had two kills, two
aces, and three digs vs. Wofford (Sept. 15) ... Also competed
on the sand volleyball team.
High School: Recorded 255 kills, 272 digs, and 45 aces
as a senior at Oldham County High School … Helped lead
her team to a 30-8 record and a regional final appearance
… collected 252 kills, 163 digs, and 35 aces as a junior,

and helped lead OCHS to a district championship and
regional final appearance … the Colonels advanced to
the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history
her sophomore year … also competed in track and field
where she set the school record for the triple jump (37
feet, 5 inches), placing 10th in the state competition …
named 2012 class valedictorian and an Academic All-State
honoree.
Personal: Daughter of Mark and Tara Dickerson … born
July 22, 1994 in Louisville Ky. ... majoring in Health Sciences.

2012: Atlantic Sun Conference Scholar ... Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
High School: Named AVCA Under Armour High School All-American,
PrepVolleyball All-American, and PrepVolleyball Academic All-American … twotime First-Team All-State honoree at Cave Spring High School in Virginia … helped
lead the Knights to a 29-3 record and a state championship as a senior … also
earned first-team all-region, all-district, and all-area honors … set a school record
with 997 assists her senior year … also recorded 138 kills, 232 digs, 64 aces, 53

blocks and a .424 attack pct. … tallied a career 2,031 assists, 360 kills, 638 digs,
109 blocks and 168 aces over three playing seasons … missed her sophomore
year after knee surgery … also competed in both indoor and outdoor track and field
at CSHS … named valedictorian, senior class president and homecoming queen.
Personal: Daughter of Raymond and Lisa Craighead … born June 7, 1993 in
Roanoke, Va. … sister Stacey played volleyball at Seton Hall University ... majoring
in Sport Management.

2012: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Played in three matches ... Picked up four
digs vs. Florida Atlantic (Sept. 11).
High School: Recorded 148 digs and 58 aces as a senior at Brawley Union High
School … collected 260 digs as a junior en route to Defensive Player of the Year and
all-conference honors … helped lead her team to four conference championships

and a 47-1 league record during her career … was a four-time San Diego Union
Tribune All-Academic Team selection … also lettered four years in softball and three
years in basketball.
Personal: Daughter of Greg and Valerie Kastner … born Jan. 25, 1994 in Brawley,
Calif. ... majoring in Health Sciences.

13

RETURNING PLAYER PROFILES

5 Alexa Drost

SOPHOMORE • 5-4 • DEF. SPECIALIST
Henderson, Nev.
Green Valley HS

2012: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Played in 19
matches, making nine starts ... Recorded 79 digs ... Picked
up 12 digs apiece vs. ETSU (Sept. 29) and FGCU (Oct. 6)
... Also recorded nine digs in win vs. Savannah State (Oct.
6) ... Became a serve receive specialist late in the season
... Received 104 serves in the final six matches while only
committing five reception errors.

Personal: Daughter of Frank and Denise Drost ... born Jan.
8, 1994 in Las Vegas, Nev. ... major is undeclared.

High School: Helped lead Green Valley High School to
a 32-6 record and a state championship her senior year
... served as team captain ... registered 192 digs and 28
aces despite missing eight matches with an injury ... earned
first-team all-conference and first-team all-region honors ...
named team’s Most Outstanding Player ... Nevada All-State
Academic Team selection ... set the school record for career
digs with 559 ... also recorded 102 career aces ... helped
lead her team to three regional championships (2009-11)
and the state runner-up in 2009 and 2010 ... recorded
234 digs and 52 aces as a junior ... named team’s Most
Outstanding Defensive Player ... served as senior class
vice president.

2012: Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team ... Played in 34
matches, making 19 starts ... Played in 120 of 125 sets ...
Ranked second on the team in kills (248) and kills/set (2.07)
... Ranked fourth among all A-Sun freshmen in kills and kills/
set ... Recorded double-digit kills seven times ... Collected
a season-high 13 kills vs. Wofford (Sept. 1) ... Picked up
a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs vs. Wofford (Sept.
15) ... Ranked third on the team with 58 blocks ... Had a
season-high six blocks vs. ETSU (Sept. 29) ... Also recorded
five blocks each vs. Tennessee State (Aug. 25) and Florida
Atlantic (Sept. 11).

Open Division and 13th in the American Division in the USA
Junior Olympic National Championships … was a four-time
scholar-athlete and recipient of the President’s Award for
Educational Excellence in 2011.
Personal: Daughter of Dave Prewitt and Cam Westvold
… born June 1, 1994 in Sacramento, Calif. ... majoring in
Health Sciences.

High School: Collected 309 kills, 80 digs and 40 blocks as
a senior at Rocklin High School … helped lead her team
to a 34-8 record, a Sac-Joaquin section runner-up finish
and the quarterfinals of the Division II CIF state tournament
… named first-team all-league and first-team all-metro,
earned two all-tournament medals … as a junior helped
lead RHS to a 37-3 record, a section championship and
the state quarterfinals … earned all-league and all-metro
honors … won four league championships with RHS …
her Northern California Volleyball Club finished 11th in the

Personal: Daughter of Stan and Marla Weller ... born May
13, 1994 ... majoring in Business.

High School: Competed for three years at Kennesaw
Mountain High School before transferring to Sandy Creek
as a senior … helped lead SCHS to a 44-7 record and the
2011 Georgia Class AAA state championship … recorded
30 assists in the title match victory … earned All-Area and
All-State Senior All-Star honors … . Led all of Georgia Class
AAA in assists (615 in 70 sets) in 2011 … also named 2010
All-State honorable mention and First Team All-Area while
at KMHS … also lettered in track & field (specializing in the
high jump and 800 meters) at both high schools.

2013 (Sand): Atlantic Sun First-Team All-Conference ... Atlantic Sun All-Academic
Team ... Atlantic Sun Pair of the Week with Kaley Melville (Mar. 13) ... Posted a 1311 overall record including 10 wins at the no. 1 pairs position with Melville.
2012 (Sand): Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year ... Atlantic Sun All-Academic
Team ... A-Sun Pair of the Week with Alexa Stonish (Mar. 21) ... Recorded 17-18
record in program’s inaugural season to lead the Hatters in victories ... Qualified
for AVCA Collegiate National Championships with partner Kaley Melville ... Won 14
matches with Melville and three with Stonish.

High School: Honor Roll student at Wadsworth (Ohio) High School...ran one
year of track in addition to four years of volleyball...All-Ohio, First Team All-District
and All-League...helped lead her team to a district title...earned a Cleveland Plain
Dealer Player of the Week award...also helped pace her club team, Zero Gravity
Juniors, to regonal title and qualification for national tournament.
Personal: Julie Lynn Bassett was born December 29, 1992 in Alliance, OH ...
Daughter of Jeff and Kathy Bassett ... Is majoring in Communication Studies.

21 Madison Akins

FRESHMAN • 6-0 • RIGHT SIDE HITTER
Brooks, Ga.
Whitewater HS

High School: Helped lead Whitewater to a 54-3 record and the Georgia Class
5A State Championship in 2012 ... Earned first team All-State and first team allcounty honors ... Recorded 330 kills, 85 aces, and 68 blocks for the Wildcats ...
Also earned all-area honors for the second straight year and was a Senior All-Star

... Helped guide the Tsunami Volleyball Club to a third-place finish at the USA Girls
Championships in the 16 National division in 2011.
Personal: Madison Gay Akins was born Feb. 21, 1995 in Fayetteville, Ga. ...
Daughter of Christi and Mike Akins ... Major is undecided.

High School: Recorded 379 digs, 48 assists, and 20 aces for Bishop Kenny (23-8)
in 2012 ... Helped lead the Crusaders to a district and regional championship and
an appearance in the Florida Class 5A State Final Four ... As a junior helped lead
Bishop Kenny to a district championship ... Also competed in track and field her
sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Personal: Abigail Marie Boll was born July 22, 1995 in Jacksonville, Fla. ...
Daughter of Susan and James Boll ... major is undecided.

High School: Earned All-America honors in 2012 while helping lead Landmark
Christian to a 41-14 record and the Georgia Class A Championship ... Led the
entire state of Georgia (all classifications) with 679 kills and 167 aces ... Also
recorded 491 digs and 82 blocks ... Was named to the GHSA All-State team and
was selected as the Area 3A Player of the Year ... Was a two-time first-team allarea honoree and her team’s MVP for three consecutive years ... Named local

Player of the Week ... Selected for three all-tournament teams and the Senior
All-Star Team.
Personal: Tiffany Anna Creamer was born Apr. 15, 1995 in Stockbridge, Ga. ...
Daughter of Timothy and Sheri Creamer ... Club volleyball teammate of Madison
Akins ... Majoring in Integrated Health Science.

19

NEWCOMER PLAYER PROFILES

4 McKenna Foster

FRESHMAN • 5-10 • OUTSIDE HITTER
Ocala, Fla.
Vanguard HS

High School: Named the Florida Class 6A 2012 Player of the Year by the Florida
Dairy Farmers Association ... Led Vanguard to a 20-9 record and its first Florida
State Championship ... Recorded 32 kills and 27 digs in the semifinal win over
Fort Myers, then posted 34 kills and 13 digs in the championship game against St.
Augustine ... Helped the Knights become the first volleyball team in Marion County
to win a state championship ... Earned All-State honors ... Compiled 573 kills (5.8

per set), 300 digs, 65 aces, 33 blocks, and an attack percentage of .479 her junior
year ... Also earned All-State honors as a sophomore ... Helped lead the Ocala
Power to a third-place finish in the AAU Girls Championship 17 Club division.
Personal: McKenna Blakely Foster was born Jan. 6, 1995 in Ocala, Fla. ...
Daughter of Michelle and Bruce Foster ... Majoring in Digital Arts.

9 Danika Yoder
FRESHMAN • 5-7 • SETTER
Venice, Fla.
Venice HS

High School: Helped lead Venice to a 29-3 record and the Florida Class 7A State
Championship in 2012 ... Recorded 47 assists and 19 digs in the state semifinal
victory over Buchholz and 36 assists and 10 digs in the championship match vs. St.
Thomas Aquinas ... Named third-team All-State and an HTPreps all-area performer
... Helped lead the Indians to four district championships and two regional titles
during her four years ... Was a three-time all-tournament team selection.

*Stetson competed in the New South Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Athletic Conference from 1985-1990. The NSWAC was absorbed by the Trans
America Athletic Conference in 1991. The TAAC changed its name to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001.

GoHatters.com
For all of the latest Stetson Volleyball news, scores,
statistics, and records, visit the official website of
Stetson Athletics at www.GoHatters.com. Find
links to live stats, HatterVision broadcasts,
postgame stories and video.

Conference Player of the Year
Peggy Machamer.........................1985
Conference Coach of the Year
Megan Bryant...............................1986
Elizabeth Schumaker...................1985

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Kira Smedley
(2001-04)
1339 Kills / 1021 Digs

DeeAnn Dempsey
(2002-05)
1265 Kills / 1007 Digs

Career 3000 Assists and 1000 Digs

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THIS IS ... THE ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE
For 35 years, the Atlantic Sun Conference has supported its member institutions in providing intercollegiate
athletics programs committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun accomplishes this mission by
maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement, creating a balance between
student and athlete. Adding an emphasis on sportsmanship in the competitive arena and fostering
leadership opportunities through community service, the A-Sun, its member institutions and its studentathletes aim for an overall educational experience that is successful in Building Winners for Life.

BUILDING

WINNERS

The student-athletes of the A-Sun consistently achieve
academic accolades on a national level ...

... while performing at a high level in the competitive arena ...

• As a whole, the Atlantic Sun set a new record with more
than 65 percent of all student-athletes earning All-Academic
status after achieving at least a 3.0 GPA last year.
• A pair of A-Sun basketball student-athletes swept the
Division I-AAA Men’s and Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the
Year awards, while the A-Sun also claimed the men’s postgraduate scholarship from the association.
• For the second consecutive year, the A-Sun was the top
academic conference in NCAA Division I women’s soccer,
as all of its teams earned the NSCAA Team Academic
Award for posting a team GPA of 3.0 or better.
• The Atlantic Sun Conference set a new high with seven
teams receiving the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2011-12
season by their maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team
grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative
team GPA on a 5.0 scale. The A-Sun’s total ranks it in a
tie for second among the 31 NCAA Division I conferences.

• The A-Sun placed three men’s basketball teams in
postseason play for the second consecutive season, with
Mercer claiming the 2012 CIT Championship and giving the
A-Sun its first postseason championship in league history.
• The Jacksonville women’s track and field team won a
conference record seventh consecutive indoor and outdoor
track and field titles in 2012.
• Softball continues its pursuit to become a multi-bid sport as
the league posted the 11th best RPI in the NCAA, its fifth
straight season being ranked in the top-12 and boasted six
top-100 teams.
• Men’s Golf continues to grow into one of the conference’s
strongest national sports. North Florida earned a No. 2 seed
at its regional while Kennesaw State earned an at-large
berth to the championship. Representatives of six schools
participated in NCAA Regional play in 2012, doubling last
year’s numbers.
• The A-Sun added sand volleyball and became the
first conference in NCAA history to host a conference
championship in the emerging sport. Additionally, pairs
from North Florida and Stetson advanced to compete in the
AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship.

FOR LIFE!
...and at the same time preparing themselves to become
valuable members of their community.
• The NCAA annual Federal Graduation Rate and Graduation
Success Rate (GSR) report shows that 12 A-Sun postseason
participants equaled or bettered the national average.
• Resulting from initiatives throughout 2011-12, the A-Sun
SAAC raised more than $22,200 to benefit a variety of
organizations. Additionally, in eight years of fundraising
the SAAC has accumulated more than $125,000 for local
programs.
• Six Atlantic Sun Conference member institutions were
named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll, two with distinction. That
number places the A-Sun among the top half of Division I
conferences, as only 12 of 31 conferences had six or more
schools recognized.
• The A-Sun has successfully placed 17 individuals on NCAA
committees. The conference is the only one in the nation
to post Faculty Athletics Representatives on both the
Leadership and Legislative Councils.
• Since opening in 1997, Florida Gulf Coast University has
amassed more than 1 million service-learning hours and
earned national recognition for its program.

Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun footprint reaches into seven of the top media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions
in the region: East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, Northern
Kentucky University, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

34

STETSON UNIVERSITY

This Is ... Stetson University

Location

■ The DeLand campus, 25 miles from Daytona Beach and 35 miles from Orlando, is
home to the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Administration and School
of Music.
■ The College of Law is in St. Petersburg/Gulfport.
■ The Tampa Law Center is in downtown Tampa.
■ The Stetson University Center at Celebration is in the Orlando area.

Accreditation and Degrees

Stetson University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools to award:
■ bachelor’s, master’s and Educational Specialist degrees in the College of Arts &
Sciences,
■ bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the School of Business Administration,
■ bachelor’s degrees in the School of Music,
■ the Juris Doctor and Master of Laws degrees in the College of Law,
■ a joint J.D.-M.B.A. degree.
The university’s programs are accredited by:
■ AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business,
■ American Bar Association,
■ American Chemical Society,
■ National Association of Schools of Music,
■ National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
■ Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a
specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA).

DELAND CAMPUS INFORMATION
Facilities

Stetson University was founded in DeLand in 1883, and the 175-acre DeLand campus is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recent improvements to the DeLand
campus include:
■ $6.7 million athletics complex, including a field house and four playing fields (under
construction),
■ addition of a coffeehouse in the Carlton Union Building (completed),
■ renovation of Nemec Hall into pet-friendly housing (completed),
■ renewal of landscaping and walkways in the campus core (ongoing),
■ upgrades to classrooms and the addition of more energy-saving lighting (ongoing).
Recent additions to the DeLand campus include:
■ $8 million Science Center addition to the existing Sage Hall,
■ Mary B. McMahan Hall, an addition to the School of Music’s Presser Hall,
■ Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center,
■ Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Environmental Learning Center.
Within the past seven years:
■ a softball training facility was added at Patricia Wilson Field,
■ 5 fraternity houses were renovated,
■ 6 residential halls were built, 5 of which feature apartment-style living.

Stetson’s 2,500 undergraduates come from 43 states
and 47 foreign countries; 56 percent of undergraduates
are female and 44 percent are male.

Study Abroad

Stetson University students may study in other
countries for a few weeks to a full semester. Faculty-led
programs take place in Austria, Brazil, England, France,
Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, mainland China,
Mexico, Russia, Scotland and Spain. Certain School of
Business Administration classes and programs include
an overseas component to such locations as Hong
Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand
and Australia.

Student Life

The DeLand campus alone is home to 97 student
organizations, including service and special interest
groups, student government, social fraternities and
sororities, and 18 scholastic and honorary societies
including Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa and
Alpha Kappa Psi.

Admission

Stetson seeks students with a challenging high school
curriculum. The Fall 2012 incoming freshmen class had
an average 3.77 GPA, and an average SAT score of
1717.

Athletics

Stetson is a member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun
Conference and offers 18 intercollegiate sports: football,
baseball, softball, volleyball, sand volleyball, men and
women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s
and women’s golf, rowing, cross country, men’s and
women’s soccer, and women’s lacrosse. The nonscholarship football program joins the Pioneer Football
League and will play its first games in the fall of 2013.
The university also has a vibrant Club Sports program
featuring Aikido, croquet, dance, equestrian, men’s and
women’s lacrosse, mixed martial arts, sand volleyball,
shooting, skydive, men’s soccer, surf, swim, table tennis,
tennis, triathlon and ultimate Frisbee.

36

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Dr. Wendy Libby
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Cornell, 1972
Fifth Year

Stetson University entered a new era of
leadership in July 2009 when Dr. Wendy B. Libby
became the university’s ninth president. With a broad
career in higher education and private industry, she
is building on Stetson’s values-centered heritage
and tradition of academic excellence and community
engagement.
Libby is leading a comprehensive strategic plan
focusing innovation to drive Stetson from success
to significance – through reinforcement of academic
excellence, establishment of a Student Success
program, campus infrastructure improvements
and growth in recruitment and retention. She
spearheaded a major landscaping and classroom
improvement project and development of a DeLand
Campus Plan as a guide for future growth. She
has taken a progressive approach to residential
life at Stetson, including introduction of pet-friendly
residence halls and purchase of an apartment
complex for student housing.
Athletics has grown dramatically under her
leadership, Along with Director of Athletics Jeff
Altier, Libby was integral in bringing football back to
Stetson for the first time since 1956. Coming with
the return of football was the construction of a $6.7
million, 25,000-square foot athletic training facility,
which opened in August, 2012. Other additions

include Division I women’s lacrosse and sand
volleyball programs, a robust Club Sports program,
and a cooperative effort with the city of DeLand
to renovate Spec Martin Stadium for the return of
Hatter Football in 2013.
In 2010, Libby was appointed to the Mainstreet
Community Bank Board of Directors. In July 2011,
she was named to Volusia/Flagler Business Report’s
list of “Influential Women in Business.”
Libby served as president of Stephens College
in Columbia, Mo., from 2003-09, and as vice
president for business affairs and chief financial
officer at Furman University, Greenville, S.C., from
1995 to 2003. She has 28 years of administrative
and teaching experience in higher education, at
institutions including Westbrook College (now part
of the University of New England), the University
of Hartford, the University of Connecticut Health
Center in Farmington, The Ohio State University
and Cornell University.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Libby earned her
doctorate in Educational Administration from the
University of Connecticut in 1994. Her undergraduate
degree, in Biology with a concentration in Genetics,
is from Cornell University. She earned an MBA, with
a concentration in Finance, from Cornell’s Johnson
Graduate School of Management.

Libby is a member of numerous higher
education organizations. In honor of her outstanding
leadership, Libby received the 2007 Athena Award
from the Columbia (Mo.) Chamber of Commerce
Women’s Network for her support of women in
realizing their full leadership potential and for
contributing to the quality of life in the community.
She and her husband, Dr. Richard M. Libby, have
two sons, Glenn and wife Ginger, and Gregg and
wife Lori, four grandchildren, a great-granddaughter,
and three dogs. An avid reader, she enjoys cooking
and entertaining.

37

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Jeff Altier

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Stetson, 1982
17th Year

Jeff Altier, a 29-year veteran of the Stetson
University athletic department, is in his 17th year
as Director of Athletics. During his tenure, Altier has
earned a reputation as an outstanding fundraiser and
a leader with an eye on the future, and is noted for his
active participation in the NCAA governance structure.
Altier, captain of the nationally-ranked 1982
Hatter baseball team, earned both his bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from Stetson. Upon wrapping
up his Stetson baseball career, he spent two years
as a player/coach developing the sport in Perth,
Australia. He then returned to Stetson as an assistant
coach before being promoted to Ticket Manager,
Director of Athletic Promotions, and then Associate
Athletic Director. In these rolls, he spearheaded the
department’s development efforts as well as oversaw
athletic marketing and promotions, concessions
and travel coordination. He was named Director of
Athletics in 1996.
Altier also served as Tournament Manager for
the NCAA Division I Southeast First and Second
Round Men’s basketball tournament hosted by
Stetson in 1993 and 1996 at the Orlando Arena,
and as Tournament Director for the 1999 and 2004
tournament.
Stetson has taken great strides in the area of
gender equity under Altier, increasing scholarships,
participation opportunities and staffing for women’s

athletics. The unprecedented success of the women’s
tennis, golf, soccer, basketball and softball teams in
conference competition during Altier’s tenure are
evidence of his commitment to women’s athletics.
In fact, under his direction Stetson’s women’s and
men’s teams have won an impressive 15 conference
championships.
A hallmark of Altier’s professional career was
the building of Stetson’s $4.5 million baseball facility,
Melching Field at Conrad Park. Built in conjunction
with the City of DeLand, Melching Field is regarded as
one of the nation’s premiere college baseball facilities.
Altier then turned his attention to construction of
an on-campus softball facility, which broke ground
in 2002 and was ready for competition in February
of 2003. Patricia Wilson Field has been named
Collegiate Softball Field of the Year six times. He was
also instrumental in securing new state-of-the-art field
lighting for both the softball and soccer fields in 2005.
Under his guidance, the Athletic Department has also
seen the addition of the Wilson Athletic Center, a $
1.5 million health and wellness facility for the use of
Stetson student-athletes.
Stetson athletics has continued to grow under
Altier’s guidance. Three new sports have recently
been added - sand volleyball started competition in
the spring of 2012, while women’s lacrosse will start
in the spring of 2013 and football will return in the

fall of 2013. The program is also growing in terms of
staffing and facilities, with construction complete on
the $6.7 million, 25,000 square-foot Athletic Training
Facility that houses offices, locker rooms, and sports
medicine facilities for the football, women’s lacrosse,
and men’s and women’s soccer programs.
Altier’s leadership has extended beyond
campus, as he has taken on Atlantic Sun Conference
leadership roles, chairing many committees and
serving as conference vice-president. Additionally,
he has served on the National Association of College
Directors of Athletics Division IAAA board of directors,
the NCAA A.E.C. Cabinet and is currently a member of
the prestigious NCAA Leadership Council. Locally he
has served as president of the DeLand Rotary Club,
vice-president of the DeLand Sports Redevelopment
Association, and is a graduate of Leadership DeLand
and Leadership Orlando. He is currently a member
of the board of directors of the Central Florida Sports
Commission. Altier was honored as the West Volusia
Sportsperson of the Year for 2004. In 2011 Altier was
recognized by his peers in the National Association of
Collegiate Director of Athletics as the Under Armour
Southeast Region Division I Athletic Director of the
Year.
Altier’s family includes wife, Sarah (Booker)
(Stetson B.A. ‘82, M.Ed. ‘96), and children Heath
(Stetson M.B.A. ‘09), Brianne, and Garrett.

38

EDMUNDS CENTER

ATHLETIC FACILITIES

Melching Field - Baseball

Edmunds Center - Volleyball, Men’s & Women’s Basketball

Patricia Wilson Field - Softball

Sand Volleyball Courts

39

SPORTS MEDICINE
• The Stetson University Sports Medicine staff is
under the direction of the head team physician, three
associate physicians, and full time certified athletic
trainers providing a full complement of services to
enhance the physical performance and personal
healthcare of each student-athlete.
• The sports medicine staff is located in the athletic
training room of the Wilson Athletic Center. The
athletic training room is a 2,500 square-foot facility
dedicated to the healthcare of all student-athletes.
• The sports medicine staff is focused on identifying
and preventing athletic injuries through the use of a
complete line of evaluation tools including a state of
the art isokinetic testing and rehabilitation device.
• The division of sports medicine utilizes a wide
array of physicians, counselors, and other allied
health care professionals to assist our studentathletes in all aspects of their healthcare, growth,
and development.
• The sports medicine staff includes an in-house
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and
an affiliation with All Star Sports Performance to
enhance our strength and conditioning programs for
all of our student athletes.
• The teams make full use of the 2,500 sq. ft. weight
room located in the Wilson Athletic Center. The
facility is stocked with over 9,000 pounds of free
weights and selectorized equipment.
• A full-time certified athletic trainer is on site for all
in season practices, games, weight training, and
conditioning sessions.
• Team members follow a comprehensive and
individualized program designed to increase power,
strength, speed, quickness, agility, jumping ability,
flexibility and overall conditioning.